I Wore My Hulk Underoos With Such Pride…

Comic book super heroes and villains have become a dime-a-dozen. There is a malaise in our culture over these caped, underwear-wearing individuals. There seem to even be questions about whether “serious” comic books are better. Does more mature mean more better?

Under Where? is a book that flies in the face of the “serious” movement in comics. This book is about having fun and embracing the tight-wearing, domino mask-clad, brightly colored heroes and villains! As the author, I am not writing a treatise and nailing it to the door of the “Church of serious comics.” (I love all comics in general.) What I am doing is trying to resurrect in myself that sense of joy and wonder I felt as a young boy. It was a time when there was no shame in loving a primary color themed hero who was so good and pure that no man on Earth could’ve stood at his level. Superman felt no shame in his outfit born from circus performers. His brash red cape was a thing of honor. His bright underwear was a symbol of awesomeness.

As a kid, wearing my Underoos was a treat. I wore my Hulk Underoos with such pride. Today my little boy wants to wear his Batman pajamas with cape to bed (and if he can, all day long). At some point we start growing up, questioning the purity and nobility of super heroes. We want our heroes to be dirty and “real.” And that was when I read The Dark Knight and Watchmen and Maus, etc., books that are beyond brilliant.

Under Where? Is my expression of joy for the comic book industry. I love comics as an art form but also as a way to shout, “This is fun!” I am not ashamed of underwear or tights or of masks that don’t hide your face enough to warrant even wearing one in the first place. I want people to read this book and be reminded of their youthful enjoyment of comic books. There is no shame in my book (except the shame villains heap on heroes). There is no judgment except that which heroes heap on villains for their dastardly ways.

Try to think back. Remember what it was like to watch Batman suspended over a trap so deadly and meticulously crafted that no normal person could’ve conceived of it (much less built it). Suspend that old man/woman comic-curmudgeonness.

Embrace the fun! Embrace Under Where? (Just made you say underwear).

Under Where? is currently on Kickstarter right now, and much like I believe in the genuine nature of the heroes of old, I believe that getting a book produced because fans believe in that book is a simple pure form of self-publishing. It is so cool to see people/fans controlling what gets made. As a creator, I love it!

Join me as we ask the pivotal question in comic-bookdom. Underwear: over or under?!

*As a special incentive to those at Bleeding Cool, if we can hit 150 backers by Monday morning I will create a Bleeding Cool pledge level that will have a limited quantity. This pledge level (the same cost as the book only pledge level) will be a book plus a sketch of any hero you want in the front (or back cover). This will be limited to 50.

Has quietly been working at Bleeding Cool for over three years. He has written comics for Image, Top Cow, Shadowline, Avatar, IDW, Dynamite, Moonstone, Humanoids and Zenescope. He is the author of the Lucius Fogg series of novels and a published photographer.